Meatballs! Since I don't eat tomatoes or pasta, I almost never make these little things anymore. What am I thinking, right? They're so tasty and delightful. My new solution: basil pesto and spaghetti squash. A nice healthy meal for those time when I'm missing spaghetti and meatballs.

For Cameron and I, I picked a small spaghetti squash. To cook it: cut off the stem, stand the squash on its new flat end and halve from navel to stem end. Scoop out seeds. Lightly rub cut sides with olive oil. Roast cut sides down on a lined baking tray in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes (small squash) to an hour (larger squashes). Flip over and shred with a fork, Discard skins.

Last weekend I had a serious craving for spaghetti and meatballs in a simple tomato sauce. These are quick to make and delicious. We had extras and used them for meatball subs the next day. (Add a little provolone or mozzarella and bread to your shopping list!)

Serves 4.

Simple Beef Meatballs

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 egg

1 grated shallot

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

s + p

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Gently combine all ingredients, avoid over mixing. Use a heaping tablespoon to help portion and form into balls. Place of tray and bake about 4 minutes. Stir meatballs and bake 4 minutes more.

Who doesn't like a meatball? This is a healthier version that uses lean ground turkey breast instead of the usual beef pork combo and spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

For the sauce, I'm pretty flexible. I just use whatever fresh herbs I have lying around and then supplement with dried ones. For this I used fresh thyme, fresh savory and dried oregano which went well with the meatballs.

Heat oven to 375. Cut each squash in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds. Lightly oil, salt and pepper squash halves. Place cut side down on a large baking sheet and roast about 45 minutes or until done. (A fork will easily pierce the skin and flesh.)

Meanwhile, get the sauce going. In a small pot, heat a splash of olive oil and saute onion until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, herbs and chile flakes, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and simmer, 20 - 30 minutes. Finish with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg, and bread crumbs. Add shallot mixture, turkey, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix ingredients with clean hands until evenly distributed. Form into 1 inch meatballs, there will be about 12.

Heat a splash of oil in a pan on the stove and add meatballs. Turn frequently to cook all sides, cooking for about 10 minutes until internal temperature of meatballs reads 165 degrees.

OR

Sear/brown all sides of meatballs in skillet on the stove. Place in 375 degree oven and bake for 8 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Remove squash from oven when done. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to scrape out flesh into serving bowls. Discard skins. Season with salt and pepper. Top with sauce and meatballs.